The ninth and final film in the Star Wars Skywalker saga has opened across the country - the Christmas present fans have been waiting for.
There's a disturbance in the force, and it's called The Rise of Skywalker.
Was JJ Abrams asked to make a movie to service the fans' every desire rather than making the movie he wanted to see himself?
Let's first focus on the good things and there are plenty to bear witness to here.
Rey (Daisy Ridley) and Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) are two of them. This talented pair delivers gutsy, driven performances with a gripping intense storyline to sink your teeth into.
The return of Lando (Billy Dee Williams) and seeing him behind the wheel of the Falcon again with Chewie at his side was ace as was the meatier screen time for R2-D2 and C-3P0.
It's the first half of the film which suffers the most from the breakneck speed of the overstuffed narrative, the many strands unravelling too quickly to fully connect with some big-ticket reveals and moments. The second half is far more cohesive and for many fans the emotional pay-off delivered will be just what they needed.
After over 40 rollercoaster years it is indeed a troubling and sad day of reckoning to have to admit that even for me, a Star Wars lifer, that I can't see past the flaws to love this final chapter in the Skywalker saga anyway.
For lots of you though I know you will be satisfied. Like so many, my love for this franchise will remain undiminished, even if this Skywalker finale wasn't the film I'd been looking for.
Three-and-a-half stars.
